diff --git a/examples/fdroid_clean_repos.py b/examples/fdroid_clean_repos.py
index aaedf98a..cf6259a7 100644
--- a/examples/fdroid_clean_repos.py
+++ b/examples/fdroid_clean_repos.py
@@ -24,9 +24,9 @@ def main():
     )
     metadata.add_metadata_arguments(parser)
     options = common.parse_args(parser)
-    pkgs = common.read_pkg_args(options.appid, True)
-    allapps = metadata.read_metadata(pkgs)
-    apps = common.read_app_args(options.appid, allapps, True)
+    apps = common.read_app_args(
+        options.appid, allow_version_codes=True, sort_by_time=True
+    )
     common.read_config()
 
     for appid, app in apps.items():
diff --git a/examples/fdroid_fetchsrclibs.py b/examples/fdroid_fetchsrclibs.py
index 299e802b..e4a105e2 100644
--- a/examples/fdroid_fetchsrclibs.py
+++ b/examples/fdroid_fetchsrclibs.py
@@ -19,9 +19,7 @@ def main():
     parser.add_argument("appid", nargs='*', help=_("applicationId with optional versionCode in the form APPID[:VERCODE]"))
     metadata.add_metadata_arguments(parser)
     options = common.parse_args(parser)
-    pkgs = common.read_pkg_args(options.appid, True)
-    allapps = metadata.read_metadata(pkgs)
-    apps = common.read_app_args(options.appid, allapps, True)
+    apps = common.read_app_args(options.appid, allow_version_codes=True, sort_by_time=True)
     common.read_config()
     srclib_dir = os.path.join('build', 'srclib')
     os.makedirs(srclib_dir, exist_ok=True)
diff --git a/fdroidserver/build.py b/fdroidserver/build.py
index 42a58282..4cae5d26 100644
--- a/fdroidserver/build.py
+++ b/fdroidserver/build.py
@@ -1117,10 +1117,7 @@ def main():
     srclib_dir = os.path.join(build_dir, 'srclib')
     extlib_dir = os.path.join(build_dir, 'extlib')
 
-    # Read all app and srclib metadata
-    pkgs = common.read_pkg_args(options.appid, True)
-    allapps = metadata.read_metadata(pkgs, sort_by_time=True)
-    apps = common.read_app_args(options.appid, allapps, True)
+    apps = common.read_app_args(options.appid, allow_version_codes=True, sort_by_time=True)
 
     for appid, app in list(apps.items()):
         if (app.get('Disabled') and not options.force) or not app.get('RepoType') or not app.get('Builds', []):
diff --git a/fdroidserver/checkupdates.py b/fdroidserver/checkupdates.py
index 7f2293f3..0aa95d68 100644
--- a/fdroidserver/checkupdates.py
+++ b/fdroidserver/checkupdates.py
@@ -730,10 +730,7 @@ def main():
             logging.error(_('Build metadata git repo has uncommited changes!'))
             sys.exit(1)
 
-    # Get all apps...
-    allapps = metadata.read_metadata()
-
-    apps = common.read_app_args(options.appid, allapps, False)
+    apps = common.read_app_args(options.appid)
 
     processed = []
     failed = dict()
diff --git a/fdroidserver/common.py b/fdroidserver/common.py
index 2c671cbc..fe00e7a9 100644
--- a/fdroidserver/common.py
+++ b/fdroidserver/common.py
@@ -939,7 +939,7 @@ def get_metadata_files(vercodes):
     return metadatafiles
 
 
-def read_app_args(appid_versionCode_pairs, allapps, allow_version_codes=False):
+def read_app_args(appid_versionCode_pairs, allow_version_codes=False, sort_by_time=False):
     """Build a list of App instances for processing.
 
     On top of what read_pkg_args does, this returns the whole app
@@ -950,6 +950,7 @@ def read_app_args(appid_versionCode_pairs, allapps, allow_version_codes=False):
 
     """
     vercodes = read_pkg_args(appid_versionCode_pairs, allow_version_codes)
+    allapps = fdroidserver.metadata.read_metadata(appid_versionCode_pairs, sort_by_time)
 
     if not vercodes:
         return allapps
diff --git a/fdroidserver/lint.py b/fdroidserver/lint.py
index 11697371..8f1f8d71 100644
--- a/fdroidserver/lint.py
+++ b/fdroidserver/lint.py
@@ -878,9 +878,7 @@ def main():
 
 
 def lint_metadata(options):
-    # Get all apps...
-    allapps = metadata.read_metadata(options.appid)
-    apps = common.read_app_args(options.appid, allapps, False)
+    apps = common.read_app_args(options.appid)
 
     anywarns = check_for_unsupported_metadata_files()
 
diff --git a/fdroidserver/rewritemeta.py b/fdroidserver/rewritemeta.py
index 7f003ac3..9f3316b4 100644
--- a/fdroidserver/rewritemeta.py
+++ b/fdroidserver/rewritemeta.py
@@ -81,9 +81,7 @@ def main():
 
     config = common.read_config()
 
-    # Get all apps...
-    allapps = metadata.read_metadata(options.appid)
-    apps = common.read_app_args(options.appid, allapps, False)
+    apps = common.read_app_args(options.appid)
 
     for appid, app in apps.items():
         path = Path(app.metadatapath)
diff --git a/fdroidserver/scanner.py b/fdroidserver/scanner.py
index 88ce3236..fc6c823c 100644
--- a/fdroidserver/scanner.py
+++ b/fdroidserver/scanner.py
@@ -1144,10 +1144,7 @@ def main():
             _get_tool()
         return
 
-    # Read all app and srclib metadata
-
-    allapps = metadata.read_metadata()
-    apps = common.read_app_args(appids, allapps, True)
+    apps = common.read_app_args(appids, allow_version_codes=True)
 
     build_dir = 'build'
     if not os.path.isdir(build_dir):
diff --git a/tests/scanner.TestCase b/tests/scanner.TestCase
index dbb27fd7..ce606d35 100755
--- a/tests/scanner.TestCase
+++ b/tests/scanner.TestCase
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 
-import collections
 import glob
 import inspect
 import logging
@@ -855,7 +854,7 @@ class Test_main(unittest.TestCase):
 
             self.exit_func.assert_not_called()
             self.read_app_args_func.assert_called_once_with(
-                ['com.example.app'], collections.OrderedDict(), True
+                ['com.example.app'], allow_version_codes=True
             )
             self.scan_binary_func.assert_not_called()